Frequently Asked Questions
1. When should I call 9-1-1?
Call 9-1-1 if it is a life-threatening
situation or something is occurring at the time
of the call, such as an assault, fight, traffic
crash, fire or any situation that could result
in loss of life or major property loss. All incoming lines to the communications center, emergency and non-emergency, are TDD capable.
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2. Why do 9-1-1 operators ask so
many questions?
Experience shows that the first 60 seconds of
every 9-1-1 call to be the most critical. Operators
must not only understand the nature of the emergency,
but also its location and whether anyone has been
injured. This information is needed to make certain
the proper agencies are responding, be they law
enforcement, fire-rescue, or both.In any life threatening emergency situation,
immediately call 9-1-1 from any
telephone. For all non-emergency law enforcement
needs, such as a crime not in progress, please
call the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office (904)
824-8304. All incoming lines to
the communications center, emergency and non-emergency,
are TDD capable.
DO NOT REPORT CRIMES OR INCIDENTS OF ANY TYPE OVER THE INTERNET OR BY E-MAIL. DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OR SERIOUSNESS OF THE INCIDENT, EITHER CALL 911 OR (904) 824-8304.
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3. What do I do if I get a ticket?
If you need information about a traffic citation,
don't call the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office
or the police agency that issued it. Once the
ticket is issued, it becomes part of the court
process and is handled by St. Johns County Clerk
of the Courts, Cheryl Strickland, Clerk of Courts for St. Johns
County, has an informative website with extensive
information about the resolution options for tickets
and citations. You can find this information at http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/Const-Officers/Clerk-of-Court/index.htm. If a court appearance isn't required (the box
at the bottom of your yellow citation stating "infraction does not require appearance in
court" must be checked), you have three options:
-
Pay the citation: this is a guilty plea and
points will be assessed (if applicable).
-
Attend driving school: this is a no contest
plea, pay the fine and no points will be assessed
if you sign up and complete driving school within
90 days (Note: there are limits to the number
of times you can attend driving school; consult
the Clerk's web site for information.)
-
Plead Not Guilty: consult the Clerk's web
site for procedures and options for this plea.
If a court appearance is required, you MUST appear on the date specified on the ticket.
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4. What do I do if my license plate
has been lost or stolen?
If you suspect your license tag was stolen or
perhaps lost, you must file a police report and
get a case number. Tags will not be replaced without
that case number. The Report must be filed in person and a hard copy of the report must be taken to the Tag Agency. If you live
in the City of St. Augustine, file your report
with that police agency. Once you have the case
number, you can apply for a new tag at the St.
Johns County Tax Collectors Office. They can be
reached at (904) 823-2250 for
further information.
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5. Can I provide anonymous information
about individuals that may be committing crimes
in St. Johns County?
The Sheriffs Office provides a CRIME HOTLINE where citizens may call in and leave information
anonymously. The message is received in the Intelligence
Section and is then sent to the appropriate section
of the Sheriffs Office. The Crime Hotline number is (904) 824-9099. Please call 9-1-1 to report
crimes in progress. If you have information about individuals who are listed as 'Wanted' by the SJSO, you can contact CrimeStoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS, toll free. Remain anonymous and possibly earn a $1,000 reward.
Please call 9-1-1 to report crimes in progress.
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6. What to report if you are a witness
or the victim of a crime.
If you are a victim of a crime or if you witness
a crime, your observations can lead to a faster
resolution of the case.When you report a crime, the St. Johns County
Sheriffs Office Communications Operator will ask
you to describe the suspect(s) you observed. NEVER place your safety or the safety of those around
you in jeopardy to get a better description of
a subject, but attempt to make a mental picture
of the suspect(s) by scanning the individual(s)
from top to bottom, and outside to inside.Note the most obvious information first: race,
sex, approximate age, weight and height. Then
note hair and eye color, complexion and any distinguishing
features such as glasses, scars, facial hair,
etc. Make note of what the person is wearing, starting
with the outside layer of clothing, bearing in
mind that many times a suspect may remove outerwear
to elude law enforcement officers. If you're describing a vehicle, try to remember
the acronym CYMBALS:
C - color
Y - year
M - make
B - body
A - additional descriptive features
L - license
S – state
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7. How do I report a break-in in
progress?
During a break-in, the safety of you and your
loved ones should be your primary concern, not
the protection of your property. No possession
is worth risking a human life. If someone is breaking into your home, everyone
in the house should attempt to leave immediately,
but only if it is safe to do so. Choose an exit,
a window or door that is safely away from the
intruder. Go to a neighbor's home and call
9-1-1. If you cannot escape, quickly move everyone into
a room that has a phone. Lock and barricade the
door. Immediately call 9-1-1 and be prepared to give the operator as much information
as you can about the situation, including your
address and details like your house color, location
of fencing, status of outdoor lights and other
information that may be useful. The operator will
remain on the phone with you as deputies respond
and will continue to ask questions and provide
information.
A word about the use of weapons. Using a weapon for personal protection is a dangerous
option. In the unlikelyhood of a face-to-face
confrontation, your attacker might take your weapon
from you and use it against you. Weapons have
also been used against law enforcement officers
or family members that were mistaken for intruders.
The use of deadly force should be a last resort,
even for highly trained law enforcement officers.
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8. How do I get an Injunction for
Protection?
Injunction for Protection orders are issued by
a judge and are intended to protect those who
fear for their own safety. Essentially, an Injunction
for Protection order prohibits an individual from
an action that is likely to cause harm. Usually,
an Injunction for Protection prevents any contact
or communication between two or more people. To obtain an Injunction for Protection, go to
the St. Johns County Courthouse at 4010 Lewis Speedway,
room 153, Family Services during regular business
hours. The process takes approximately
three hours to complete and it's suggested you
arrive early. If you find yourself in a life-threatening situation
after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays or anytime during
the weekend and you have no safe shelter, call
the SJSO Communications Division (904)
824-8304, and give your information to
the Communications Operator who will send a deputy
to your location. The deputy will interview you
to determine if an emergency Injunction for Protection
is needed. If it is needed, the deputy will contact
Communications and have them contact the on call
Clerk of Court. You will have to meet
the on call Clerk of Court at the St. Johns County
Jail to file for the injunction.If you have further questions, please call Family
Services during regular business hours (904) 823-2351.
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9. What is the Sheriffs Office's
policy regarding profiling?
It is the policy of the St. Johns County Sheriff's
Office to patrol in a proactive manner, to aggressively
investigate suspicious persons and circumstances,
and to actively enforce the motor vehicle laws.
It is also the policy that citizens will only
be stopped or detained when there exists reasonable
suspicion to believe they have committed, are
committing, or are about to commit an infraction
of the law. It is this proactive enforcement that
keeps our citizens, our streets, and our highways
safer. It also enables us in detecting and apprehending
criminals. All laws shall be enforced equally, regardless
of race, color, ethnicity, sex, physical handicap
or religion and bias-based profiling shall not
be tolerated in enforcement efforts. This standard
is established in accordance with Florida State
Statue 30.15. SJSO polices prohibit bias-based
profiling and members are responsible for ensuring
that all citizens of the community are treated
with dignity and respect. All sworn SJSO members receive initial and in-service
training in proactive enforcement tactics. In
addition, bias-based profiling issues, including
the legal aspects, are also provided during this
in-service training. All training is in accordance
with the Criminal Justice Standards and Training
Commission requirements.
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10. How do I file a complaint about
how I was treated by an employee of the Sheriff's
Office?
Any person may file a complaint at any
time. Complaint forms are available at
the Sheriff's Office Courtesy Services Desk or
they may be downloaded
in Adobe Acrobat PDF format by clicking here.
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11. How can I get a copy of an incident
report?
Contact the Records Branch, Monday thru Friday
between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM (closed holidays).
If the information requested does not exceed 10
pages, there is no charge for this service other
than a self-addressed envelope.
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12. What is the difference
between a criminal case and a civil case?
A criminal case is brought by the local, state
or federal government in response to a suspected
violation of law and seeks a fine, a jail sentence
or both. Civil cases are generally brought by
private individuals or corporations seeking to
collect money owed to them, or monetary damages.
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13. How do I carry a firearm
in my vehicle without a concealed firearms permit?
The firearm must be securely encased (i.e., in
a snapped holster, a zippered carrying case, or
similar encasement). It should be placed in the
glove box for safety and security. Should you
be stopped by a law enforcement officer, it is
wise to advise the officer of the firearm. Please
contact the Sheriffs Office about our Civilian
Firearms Course.
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14. How may an application
for employment with the Sheriffs Office be obtained?
Applications may be picked up from the SJSO Administrative
Office, 4015 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL
32084, Monday thru Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. An application
may also be sent via mail, or downloaded from
the employment
section of our website. Completed applications
may be returned any business day, 8 AM to 4 PM.
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15. How do I do a permit
for a concealed handgun?
This permit is issued by the Florida Department
of State, not by local law enforcement agencies.
You can either call or write to them and make
a specific request for a Concealed Weapon Permit.
Information is available online at the Department
of State web site, or you can contact them
by mail or phone:
Florida Department of State Division of Licensing
Post Office Box 6687
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6687
(850) 488-5381
In addition, Concealed Weapon Permit Application
packets are available at the Information Counter
in the lobby at the Sheriffs Office Administrative
Complex and also at our staffed field offices.
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16. Can my child ride a
go-ped, or motorized scooter on the roadway or
sidewalk?
NO. There are two issues regarding the use of
these toy vehicles. Florida motor vehicle law
does not provide for the registering of go-peds
as motor vehicles. However, under Floridas Drivers
License Statute, they are considered motor vehicles,
which requires an operator to be at least 16 YOA
and possess a valid Class-E drivers license. Operation
of a motor vehicle without a valid drivers license
is a criminal offense that could result in an
arrest. Even if a licensed driver was in control
of the go-ped, it does not meet the safety requirements
of a registered motor vehicle, and as such, will
not be issued a tag. Therefore, it still would
not be allowed on the roadways. In addition, the safety of our children should
be a concern for all of us. A child operator of
a go-ped would be unlicensed and therefore, may
have no knowledge of the rules of the road.
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17. What should I do if
I’m sexually assaulted?
If possible, go to a safe place. Try not to disturb
anything at the scene of the crime and avoid the
destruction of evidence by NOT showering or changing clothes, etc. Call 9-1-1. The report of an
assault is not the same as prosecuting it. You
can decide later about that. Ask a friend or relative
to stay with you. Seek medical attention as you
may have injuries that are not apparent, and take
a change of clothing with you. Consider counseling. The Betty Griffin House
offers Sexual Assault Services via a 24-hour
Rape Crisis Hotline (904) 824-1555.
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18. How do I file a commendation
or a complaint on someone who works at the Sheriffs
Office?
It is important that the citizens of St. Johns
County have confidence in their Sheriffs Office
in the exercise of law enforcement authority.
This mandates that procedures for investigating
and resolving all concerns and allegations of
misconduct be instituted. All citizens are encouraged
to bring forward legitimate comments, concerns,
commendations and/or grievances regarding SJSO
employees. Your input, be it favorable or unfavorable,
will enable us to serve you better. SJSO road supervisors have citizen comment forms
in their vehicles. In addition, these road supervisors
may be able to resolve your concerns immediately,
without the need for further action. You may also obtain Citizens Comment Forms at
the SJSO main administrative office or at the
staffed field offices. Citizen
Comment Forms may also be downloaded and printed
here. You must have the most recent version
of Acrobat Reader to view this form. If you do
not have Reader, click the button at the bottom
of the left hand menu. Should you have any additional comments, concerns,
or questions, please call (904) 824-8304 and ask
for the Internal Affairs Bureau.
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19. What is the Sheriff's
Office Patch Policy?
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office policy prohibits
selling and/or trading of SJSO patches, badges,
or any other law enforcement items. Requests
for these items will be disregarded.
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20. Where can I get fingerprinted?
Sometimes your job or the participation in a group
or activity requires that you be fingerprinted.
Fingerprints are done at the following facilities.
There is a $5.00 cash charge for this service. St. Johns County Courthouse,
4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Finger
printing is done in the Bailiffs Office at the
courthouse. SJSO Julington Creek Field Office,
725 Flora Branch Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32259. (904)
287-9238. SJSO Ponte Vedra Field Office,
5430 Palm Valley Rd, Ponte Vedra, FL 32082. (904)
273-3052.
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21. How can I get a criminal
background check from SJSO?
Background checks are done at the SJSO Administrative
Offices, 4015 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL,
32084. There is no charge for this service. However,
this background check only shows criminal histories
in St. Johns County. In addition, a background
check can be done at 2 field offices, Julington
Creek and Ponte Vedra, but they will have to call
the SJSO main complex for some of the information. If a more thorough background check is needed,
it must be done by Florida
Department of Law Enforcement.
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22. What programs are available
for crime prevention?
The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office provides crime
prevention programs on the following topics:
-
Neighborhood Watch
-
Business Watch
-
Drug Awareness
-
Womens Personal Safety
-
Crimes Against the Elderly (Con Games)
-
Shoplifting – Retail Theft
-
Robbery Prevention Programs
-
Agricultural Crime Prevention
-
And so much more…
Also available are Residential and Business Security
Surveys.
For more information about any of the SJSO programs or services available, to set up a
program/service or to comment on a program/service your have recently participated in please fill out the online participation and information form available here or contact the Community Affairs Section by telephone at (904) 810-6694 or by email CommunityAffairs@sjso.org
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23. What is the mailing
address of the Sheriffs Office?
Main Office – 4015 Lewis
Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Detention Center – 3955 Lewis Speedway,
St. Augustine, FL 32084. In addition, the Sheriff has four (4) field offices,
a Bailiff Office in the Judicial Center, and the
Community Oriented Police (COP) Office, where
information and services may be obtained.
Community Oriented Policing Office - Calvin Peete Park
St. Johns County Judicial Center – 4010 Lewis Speedway, Rm 129, St. Augustine,
FL 32095.
The following 2 Field Offices are only staffed
Mon thru Fri:
Julington Creek Field Office,
8 AM to 4:30 PM – 725 Flora Branch Blvd,
Jacksonville, FL 32259
Ponte Vedra Field Office, 8:30
AM to 4:30 PM – 5430 Palm Valley Road, Ponte
Vedra , FL 32082
The following 2 Field Offices are not staffed.
In an emergency, call 9-1-1:
Crescent Beach Field Office – 6940 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Hastings Field Office – 401 McClung St., St. Augustine, FL 32145
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24. Where can I get assistance
if I’ve been a witness to or a victim of
a crime?
It is the policy of the Law Enforcement agencies
within the seventh judicial circuit to treat all
victims and witnesses with dignity, respect and
compassion at all times. SJSO has established
a Victim/Witness Program. We can provide information
on counseling services, give emotional support,
assist in obtaining emergency food, shelter and
medical aide, etc. Help is just a phone
call away (904) 824-8304. Ask for the
Victim Advocates Office.
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25. What do I do if I have
information regarding possible terrorist activity?
If you feel that there may be information relating
to terrorist activity in your community, you should
first contact your local law enforcement agency.
Florida's Domestic Security Taskforce is designed
to include one or more representatives involved
with this new security mission. Once notified,
the local agency can decide what and how many
response elements of the Task Force should be
requested.
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26. How do I obtain a copy
of an arrest record, an incident report, or a
call for service report?
Copies of all reports are available 8 AM to 5
PM, Monday thru Friday (closed holidays), at the
main SJSO Administrative complex, 4015 Lewis Speedway,
St. Augustine, FL 32084. Copies of event reports
are usually available the next business day. Copies
of crash reports may not be available for up to
5 business days. Copies of arrest records are
also available. There is no charge for this service
if the report is 10 pages or less.
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27. Can a Sheriffs Office
Deputy open my car if I have locked my keys inside?
Because of the potential for damage to vehicles,
the Sheriffs Office will not open a locked vehicle.
A locksmith is your best alternative. Should a
child be locked inside the vehicle, the Sheriffs
Office or the Fire Department will respond to
remove the child, possibly by breaking a window.
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28. Is there a waiting period
before I can report someone missing?
No. A missing person report may be made whenever
you realize someone is missing, and the missing
person meets statewide criteria to enter into
the NCIC/FCIC system.
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29. I have left my spouse
and am living elsewhere but I need to retrieve
my personal effects. Can a Deputy help me?
Deputies cannot generally assist persons in taking
items from a residence involving civil issues.
A court order must be obtained for these types
of actions to occur. If a court order has been
obtained, call the Sheriffs Office (904)
824-8304 and ask for the Civil Section.
The Civil Section can then schedule a date and
time to have a deputy accompany you to your residence
for the purpose of retrieving personal belongings
or specific items mentioned in the court order.
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30. Can I make a police
report at any time of the day?
The Sheriffs Office will respond 24 hours a day,
seven days a week to any request for law enforcement
assistance.
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31. Can I make a report
over the telephone?
There are times when a report can be made over
the telephone. It depends upon the nature of the
incident, the severity of the incident, whether
or not other forms must be signed when the report
is made. Distance will also play a role in a telephone
report. For example, someone calling from out
of state certainly would not be expected to return
to St. Johns County for the sake of filing a report.
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32. Someone has abandoned
a vehicle in my parking lot or on my property. Can
the Sheriffs Office have it towed away for me?
The Sheriffs Office can only tow vehicles abandoned
on public property. You must call for a wrecker
and have the vehicle towed at no cost to you.
However, it is suggested that you call the Communications
Center (904) 824-8304, to have
the tag or vin # checked to make sure the vehicle
is not stolen.
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33. What can we do about
a traffic problem or speeders in our neighborhood?
Call the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office Community
Traffic Awareness Hotline (904) 810-6776 and leave information specific to your complaint,
such as the community you are calling from, time
of day and exact location of the problem. If you
would like to speak to a deputy about the problem,
please leave your name and phone number. A traffic
enforcement deputy will return your call. Click to find out more about the Traffic Section Incident Report Form send us an email to report your traffic concerns: sgreene@sjso.org
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34. What should I do if
a deputy is trying to pull me over at night in
an unmarked car and I am frightened?
It is important that you acknowledge to the deputy
that you see him/her by waving your hands or turning
on your emergency 4-way flashers and reducing
the speed of your vehicle. Begin looking for a
safe (and at night a well-lighted) area to stop.
The best place, if possible, is a location with
other people around such as a shopping center
or convenience store. Once you have stopped, keep
your doors locked and roll your window down just
enough to converse with the deputy until the situation
is comfortable. In most cases, deputies in unmarked
cars will contact a uniformed officer for assistance
with a traffic stop. If one is not available,
deputies should understand your concern for safety.
Ask to see a badge and department
photo identification.
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35. Does my 4-8 year old
child need to be in a booster seat? When can I
turn my infant/toddler around to face forward?
A booster seat MUST be used if:
1. The child weighs between 40 and
80 pounds
2. The child is below 4 feet 9 inches in height
Before facing forward, the child must be one
year of age AND weigh 20 pounds or more. Note: Check the manufacturers
stickers on the sides of your seats and make
sure that your seat is not over 5 years old.
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